1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to farm equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to tractor attachments for fluffing beans and hay.
2. Related Art
Many different farm implements are used to pick cut plant matter up from the ground. These range from fluffers to windrowers to harvesters.
Many different types of farm implements exist for the fluffing of beans and hay. Some of these implements are drawn alongside the tractor. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,422 (Sampson) discloses a swath lifter for windrowed grain and U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,610 (Schultz discloses a windrow lifter. Neither the Sampson lifter, nor the Schultz lifter, however, are able to be maneuvered from an extended, operational position to a retracted, transport position directly behind the tractor.
Other implements are drawn directly behind the tractor. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,862 (Ferguson) discloses an apparatus for treating windrows; U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,575 (Nilsen) discloses a windrow aerator; U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,576 (Probst) discloses a windrowed hay fluffing agricultural implement; U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,685 (Gasseling, et al.) discloses a hay windrow fluffer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,717 (Delperdang, et al.) discloses a crop aerator; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,139 (Delperdang et al.) discloses a crop aerator having a pivoted header frame. A problem with implements drawn directly behind the tractor is that the operator must steer the tractor constantly to keep the wheels of the tractor from driving across the windrows cut plant matter.
Other implements fluff beans and hay by inverting the windrow. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,605 (Ender, Sr.) discloses a machine for inverting windrows; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,092 (Jennings) discloses a windrow inverter and shifter; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,625 (Laquerre) discloses a windrow turning apparatus. Unlike these inventions, the present invention does not invert the windrow.
Other implements exist for the creation of windrows. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,080 (Marsh) discloses a crop windrowing apparatus. This apparatus is used to create windrows and is not able to be maneuvered from an extended, operational position to a retracted, transport position directly behind the tractor, nor does this apparatus serve to aerate previously created windrows.
Other implements exist for the harvesting of beans and other grains. For instance, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 242,914 (Kilburn et al.) which discloses a harvester for beans. While this implement does have tines that pick up beans from this ground, this implement is not able to be maneuvered from an extended, operational position to a retracted, transport position directly behind the tractor.